Archive for the ‘Joram’ Tag
Above: Map of the Assyrian Empire
Image Scanned from an Old Bible
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
READING FIRST ISAIAH, PART XII
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Isaiah 14:28-20:6; 23:1-18; 30:1-26; 31:1-9
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
INTRODUCTION
Some of this material may have originated with Isaiah ben Amoz, but other material (if not all of it) came from a later time. The First Isaiah (Chapters 1-23, 28-33) part of the Book of Isaiah came to exist in its final form of the Babylonian Exile. The editing of the older material and the addition of old material created a multi-layered collection of texts.
I acknowledge this historical and literary reality without reservation. I also focus on meanings. Contexts–especially historical ones–are crucial for establishing a text’s original meaning. One needs to do this before interpreting a text for today as effectively as possible. Unfortunately, determining original historical context is not always possible in First Isaiah. Still, I do the best I can.
If prophetic denunciations of Tyre/Philistia, Moab, and Aram/Damascus (Isaiah 14:28-17:14) seem familiar to you, O reader, you may be thinking of Amos 1:3-5; 1:9-10; and 2:1-3.
PHILISTIA
Isaiah 14:28 establishes a temporal marker:
In the year that King Ahaz died….
As I have written in previous posts in this series of posts about Hebrew prophetic books, establishing a coherent and consistent chronology on the Gregorian Calendar and the B.C./B.C.E.-A.D./C.E. scale for the period from King Azariah/Uzziah of Judah and King Hezekiah of Judah is notoriously difficult. If one consults three study Bibles, one may find three different sets of years for the reign of the same monarch. Although study Bibles disagree about when King Ahaz began to reign, they agree that he died in or about 715 B.C.E.
Circa 715 B.C.E., Philistine cities, Assyrian vassals, were trying to forge a regional united front against the Assyrian Empire. That empire had already swallowed up Aram and the (northern) Kingdom of Israel in 720 and 722 .C.E., respectively. The Kingdom of Judah, under King Hezekiah, did not join this alliance. Circa 715 B.C.E., the Assyrian Empire was experiencing a period of temporary decline.
Do not rejoice, Philistia, not one of you,
that the rod which struck you is broken;….
–Isaiah 14:29a, The New American Bible–Revised Edition (2011)
The rod was not broken, after all. The Assyrian Empire had a resurgence of power, and the anti-Assyrian rebellion failed.
Anyway, the snake in Isaiah 29:b is a call back to the seraphim (poisonous snakes) from Numbers 21:1-9 and Deuteronomy 8:15, and alluded to in Isaiah 6:1-13.
Philistia’s hopes of throwing off the Assyrian yoke were in vain.
PHOENICIA (TYRE AND SIDON)
The Phoenicians (who deserve much credit for the alphabet in which I write this post) were seagoing merchants. In fact, in the Bible, the association between Phoenicians and merchants was so strong that, in some texts, “Phoenicians” may refer to merchants, not ethnic-cultural Phoenicians. Anyway, many Phoenician merchants were fabulously wealthy.
Isaiah 23:1-18 may be either a prophecy or a text written after the failed Phoenician rebellion against the Assyrian Empire in 701 B.C.E. The text is, in any case, a mock lament. The text criticizes Phoenicians for relying on their wealth and being arrogant, not relying on YHWH. We read the Tyre, supposedly inviolable, fell. We may legitimately consider this as a warning that Jerusalem, also supposedly inviolable, could fall, too.
It did, in 586. B.C.E.
MOAB
The temporal origin of Isaiah 15:1-16:13 is uncertain. It may date to a time after Isaiah ben Amoz and refer to mourning after Chaldean/Neo-Babylonian military activity. A similar text, a dirge for events circa 650 B.C.E., exists in Jeremiah 48. There are also thematic connections with Numbers 21:27-30.
Moab, to the east of the Dead Sea, was where Jordan is today. Moab was a traditional enemy of the Jewish people. The (united) Kingdom of Israel controlled Moab. The (northern) Kingdom of Israel fought off Moabite resistance to its control until the reign (851-842 B.C.E.) of King Joram (Jehoram) of Israel. Then Moab regained its independence. Circa 735 B.C.E., Moab became a vassal state of the Assyrian Empire. In the middle of the seventh century B.C.E., Moab, as an autonomous state, ceased to exist. Moab traded Assyrian domination for Chaldean/Neo-Babylonian domination in 609 B.C.E. The last Moabite king’s reign ended circa 600 B.C.E. (Jeremiah 27:3).
Isaiah 16 encourages the Kings of Judah, part-Moabite (Ruth 1-4), to welcome Moabite refugees.
Isaiah 16 also includes some references that careful, attentive readers of the early prophets (Hosea, Amos, Micah, and First Isaiah) should find familiar. Verse 7 refers to raisin cakes offered to false gods (Hosea 3:1). The royal government of Judah had a divine mandate to act justly, consistent with the Law of Moses (verses 1-5). We read another condemnation of collective and official “haughtiness, pride, and arrogance” before God (verse 6). And the remnant of Moab will be “very small and weak,” we read in verse 14. The Moabite remnant contrasts with the Judean remnant.
E. D. Grohman wrote:
Archaeological exploration has shown that Moab was largely depopulated from ca. the beginning of the sixth century, and in many sites from ca. the eighth century. From the sixth century on, nomads wandered through the land until political and economic facts made sedentary life possible again in the last centuries B.C.
—The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, K-Q (1962), 418
ARAM/DAMASCUS
Aram (where Syria is today) was the main rival to the Assyrian Empire during the prophetic careers of Hosea, Amos, and Micah, and during the beginning of the prophetic career of First Isaiah. After the Syro-Ephraimite War (734-732 B.C.E.), both the Kingdom of Aram and the (northern) Kingdom of Israel lost territory to the Assyrian Empire and became vassal states of that empire. The Assyrian Empire conquered Israel in 722 B.C.E. and Aram in 720 B.C.E.
Truly, you have forgotten the God who saves you,
the Rock, your refuge, you have not remembered.
–Isaiah 17:10a, The New American Bible–Revised Edition (2011)
I will return to that theme before the end of this post.
ETHIOPIA AND EGYPT–REALLY CUSH/NUBIA
Modern place names do not always correspond to ancient place names. The references to Ethiopia in Isaiah 18:1-7 and 20:1-6 are to Cush (where the Sudan is today). On maps of the Roman Empire, the label is Nubia.
A Cushite/Nubian dynasty (the Twenty-Fifth Dynasty of Egypt) controlled Egypt at the time, so references to “Ethiopia” included Egypt. That dynasty had invited the Kingdom of Judah to join its coalition against the Assyrian Empire circa 715 B.C.E. Egypt/Cush/Nubia had replaced Aram as the main rival to the Assyrian Empire. Judah, under King Hezekiah, did join this alliance, much to divine disapproval (Isaiah 30:1-5; 31:1-9). Judean participation in this alliance was apparently an example of rebellion against God (Isaiah 28:14-22; 29:15-26; 30:6-7). God was prepared to act against the Assyrian Empire, but not yet (Isaiah 18:1-7).
Isaiah 19 refers to the Cushite/Nubian conquest of Egypt and asserts divine sovereignty over Egypt:
The idols of Egypt tremble before him,
the hearts of the Egyptians melt within them.
Verse 1b, The New American Bible–Revised Edition (2011)
The theological-geopolitical agenda in the Egyptian/Cushite/Nubian material was to rely only on God, not on powerful neighbors that did not have Judah’s best interests at heart. Trusting in God was the only way to maintain independence. Empires rose and fell, but God would never fall. And God was waiting to be gracious to Judah (Isaiah 30:18f).
For this said the Lord GOD,
the Holy One of Israel:
By waiting and by calm you shall be saved,
in quiet and trust shall be your strength.
But this you did not will.
–Isaiah 30:15, The New American Bible–Revised Edition (2011)
CONCLUSION
These passages reflect a particular geopolitical and historical set of circumstances. As with the Law of Moses, one ought to be careful not to mistake examples bound by circumstances for timeless principles do exist.
If one expects me to extrapolate these readings into a condemnation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (N.A.T.O.) or the United Nations (U.N.), for example, I will disappoint such a person. I live in the United States of America, not equivalent to any ancient kingdom, empire, or city-state. I do not accept American Exceptionalism either, so I may disappoint another group of readers. The same rules and moral standards that apply to other nation-states in 2021 also apply to the United States of America.
One timeless principle germane in this post is the imperative of trusting in God more than in people. This applies both collectively and individually. God is forever; people have relatively short lifespans. Nation-states come and go. Administrations come and go, also. Even the most capable and benevolent leaders are imperfect. They can still function as instruments of God, of course. May they do so. And may they know that they are “like grass.”
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 1, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT JUSTIN MARTYR, CHRISTIAN APOLOGIST AND MARTYR, 166/167
THE FEAST OF SAINT PAMPHILUS OF CAESAREA, BIBLE SCHOLAR AND TRANSLATOR; AND HIS COMPANIONS, MARTYRS, 309
THE FEAST OF SAMUEL STENNETT, ENGLISH SEVENTH-DAY BAPTIST MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER; AND JOHN HOWARD, ENGLISH HUMANITARIAN
THE FEAST OF SAINT SIMEON OF SYRACUSE, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM ROBINSON, MARMADUKE STEPHENSON, AND MARY DYER, BRITISH QUAKER MARTYRS IN BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, 1659 AND 1660
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Above: Map of the Assyrian Empire and Its Neighbors
Image Scanned from an Old Bible
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
READING AMOS, PART II
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Amos 1:3-2:3
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Introduction
As I read the Book of Amos, I ask myself how much of the final version is original to the text from the prophet. I know that the final version of the Book of Amos dates to the 400s B.C.E., three centuries after the time of the prophet. Nevertheless, that question, germane for some matters of interpretation, is irrelevant for other matters of interpretation. The message(s) of the Book of Amos for people, cultures, societies, and institutions in 2021 C.E. are what they are, regardless of which layer of composition to which a particular passage belongs.
Amos 1:3-2:16 consists of prophetic oracles of judgment against nations. I choose to write about the oracles against Judah and Israel in the next post. In this post, I focus on divine judgment against Aram, Philistia, Tyre, Edom, Ammon, and Moab.
Notice, O reader, a motif:
For three crimes of _____, and now four–
I will not take it back–….
–Amos 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 13; 2:1, The New American Bible–Revised Edition (2011)
This motif indicates the end of divine patience after the third crime. Divine patience is not infinite. Divine judgment and mercy exist in balance.
Amos 1:3-2:3 condemns neighboring nations for behavior that is anti-human or against nature. These Gentiles, not being under the Law of Moses, had no covenant with God to keep. They were still accountable according to certain standards, though.
Aram (1:3-5)
Aram was where Syria is today. Aram was the main rival of the Assyrian Empire during the time of the prophets Amos, Hosea, Micah, and (First) Isaiah. Aram was also a frequent foe of the (northern) Kingdom of Israel.
Aram had “threshed Gilead with sledges of iron,” a reference to a military campaign (2 Kings 13:3-7). King Hazael came to power circa 842 B.C.E. and reigned until circa 806 B.C.E. (2 Kings 8:7-15). He founded a dynasty. Hazael’s immediate successor was his son, King Ben-hadad II (2 Kings 13:3). Hadad was a storm god, and “Ben” meant “son of.”
“Aven” meant “evil,” so the Valley of Aven was the “Valley of Evil.” Beth-eden was an Aramaic city-state between the Euphrates and Balikh Rivers. According to Amos 1:5, God would depose the King of Beth-eden and exile the Arameans. During the Syro-Ephraimite War (734-732 B.C.E.; 2 Kings 15:27-31; 2 Kings 16:1-19; 2 Chronicles 28:1-26; Isaiah 7:1-8:23), King Pekah of Israel (r. 735-732 B.C.E.) and King Rezin of Aram (r. 750-732 B.C.E.), having formed an anti-Assyrian alliance, fought the (southern) Kingdom of Judah and besieged Jerusalem because King Ahaz (r. 743/735-727/715 B.C.E.) refused to join that coalition. King Ahaz of Judah turned not to God, but to the Assyrian Empire. That empire conquered part of Aram and reduced Israel to vassalage in 732 B.C.E. The Assyrian Empire ended Aram’s existence as an independent kingdom in 720 B.C.E. That empire relocated Arameans throughout the Assyrian Empire, including in Samaria (2 Kings 17:24, 30).
Philistia (1:6-8
Philistia was on the Mediterranean coast and east of the (southern) Kingdom of Judah. Philistia was where the Gaza Strip is today. Philistines were the people otherwise known as Phoenicians.
Philistia had “exiled an entire population,” probably from Israel or Judah. This raid, perhaps during the reign (817-800 B.C.E.; 2 Kings 13:1-25) of King Jehoahaz of Israel, violated Exodus 21:16, not that the covenant applied to the Philistines.
Tyre (1:9-10)
Tyre, on the Mediterranean coast, was the chief Phoenician city in the middle 700s B.C.E. It was a wealthy commercial capital of a trading network.
Tyre had violated a treaty with an unnamed partner and handed an entire population over to slave markets in Edom.
Edom (1:11-12)
Edom was south of the Dead Sea, in what is now the southern regions of Israel and Jordan. Edom was the nation, by tradition, descended from Esau, a.k.a. Edom (Genesis 25:25-28:9; 32:3-33:16; 35:1-43; 36:1-43). Jacob/Israel had made their peace (Genesis 33), but their descendants had continued the conflict.
Edom, the nation, had pursued his “brother” (Israel) with the sword. Edom, the nation, was metaphorically the brother of the Israelite people (Numbers 20:14; Deuteronomy 2:4; Deuteronomy 23:7; Obadiah 10, 12). King David had added Edom to the (united) Kingdom of Israel (2 Samuel 8:13f; 1 Kings 11:15-17). Edom, part of the (southern) Kingdom of Judah after the division of the (united) Kingdom of Israel, threw off Judean control during the reign (851-853 B.C.E.) of King Jehoram (Joram) (2 Kings 8:16-24; 2 Chronicles 21:4-20). Yet Judah reconquered Edom during the reign (798-769 B.C.E.) of King Amaziah of Judah (2 Kings 14:1-22; 2 Chronicles 25:1-28) and the reign (785-733 B.C.E.) of King Azariah/Uzziah of Judah (2 Kings 15:1-7; 2 Chronicles 26:1-23), contemporary with the time of the prophets Hosea, Amos, and Micah. Edomites persisted in their anger; they raged in wrath without end.
Ammon (1:13-15)
Ammon was to the west of the River Jordan and north of the Dead Sea, in modern-day Jordan. Ammon had been part of the (united) Kingdom of Israel under Kings David and Solomon. The Ammonites had broken away circa 928 B.C.E., when the (united) Kingdom of Israel split into the (northern) Kingdom of Israel and the (southern) Kingdom of Judah.
Ammon had “ripped open pregnant women in Gilead, in order to extend their territory” (Amos 1:13). Ammon had fought a border war with Israel, probably during the 800s B.C.E. In the course of that conflict, Ammonite soldiers had ripped open pregnant women, a tactic not unheard of, sadly.
Ammon became a vassal state (742-630 B.C.E.) of the Assyrian Empire then a province thereof. With the Chaldean/Neo-Babylonian conquest of the Assyrian Empire, Ammon became a rebellious province of the Chaldean/Neo-Babylonian Empire. The rebellion failed, and mass deportations ensued.
Moab (2:1-3)
Moab was west of the Dead Sea, in modern-day Jordan. Moab had been a vassal state of the (united) Kingdom of Israel under Kings David and Solomon then under the kings of the (northern) Kingdom of Israel. King Mesha of Moab had successfully rebelled against vassalage during the reign (851-842 B.C.E) of King Jehoram (Joram) of Israel (1 Kings 3:1-27) and the reign (870-846 B.C.E.) of King Jehoshaphat of Judah (1 Kings 22:1-51; 2 Kings 3:1-27; 2 Chronicles 17:1-20:37). Moab was also the homeland of Ruth.
Moab had “burned to ashes the bones of Edom’s king.” This was an extreme disrespect usually reserved criminals (Genesis 38:24; Leviticus 20:14; Leviticus 21:9), not that Moabites were subject to the Law of Moses. This act, which had no effect on either the (northern) Kingdom of Israel or the (southern) Kingdom of Judah, was still a crime against God.
Moab came under Assyrian domination (c. 735 B.C.E.), became an Assyrian province (711 B.C.E.), and finally ceased to be a state (circa 600 B.C.E.). (For more about the decline and fall of Moab, read Isaiah 15-16 and Jeremiah 48.)
Conclusion
A spiritual mentor of mine liked to read some portion of the Bible then ask:
What is really going on here?
God, who is sovereign over all the nations, does not tolerate injustice. The Book of Amos beats the drum repeatedly. God cares deeply about how people, cultures, societies, and institutions treat people.
In this post, I have focused on neighbors of the (northern) Kingdom of Israel and the (southern) Kingdom of Judah. Many of the prophet’s original audience probably delighted to hear these proclamations of divine judgment against these foreign nations.
Then Amos stopped preaching and started meddling, so to speak.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 20, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT ALCUIN OF YORK, ABBOT OF TOURS
THE FEAST OF SAINTS COLUMBA OF RIETI AND OSANNA ANDREASI, DOMINICAN MYSTICS
THE FEAST OF JOHN ELIOT, “THE APOSTLE TO THE INDIANS”
THE FEAST OF SAINT MARIÁ ANGÉLICA LATHROP, FOUNDRESS OF THE DOMINICAN SISTERS OF HAWTHORNE
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Above: King Jehu of Israel
Image in the Public Domain
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
READING 1-2 SAMUEL, 1 KINGS, 2 KINGS 1-21, 1 CHRONICLES, AND 2 CHRONICLES 1-33
PART XC
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
2 Kings 9:1-10:30
2 Chronicles 22:5-9
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The Lord has cast down the thrones of rulers,
and has seated the lowly in their place.
The Lord has plucked up the roots of the nations,
and has planted the humble in their place.
–Ecclesiasticus/Sirach 10:14-15, Revised Standard Version–Second Catholic Edition (2002)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
King Jehoram/Joram of Israel (Reigned 851-842 B.C.E.)
King Ahaziah/Jehoahaz of Judah (Reigned 843-842 B.C.E.)
King Jehu of Israel (Reigned 842-814 B.C.E.)
Queen Athaliah of Judah (Reigned 842-836 B.C.E.)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Above: The Intermarriage of the House of Omri and the House of David
Scan by Kenneth Randolph Taylor
Dynasties in the northern Kingdom of Israel rose and fell. I counted five dynasties, as well as four kings who belonged to no dynasty. Three of the dynasties consisted of only two monarchs. The House of Omri supplied four Kings of Israel and one Queen of Judah (Athaliah). The House of Jehu supplied five Kings of Israel.
In 1 Kings 19:15-16, God had assigned Elijah to anoint Jehu the next King of Israel. Elijah passed that task to his successor, Elisha. Elisha, in turn, fulfilled it indirectly; he sent a disciple-prophet to anoint Jehu then to
flee without delay.
The disciple-prophet of Elijah anointed Jehu then did not
flee without delay.
Jehu presided over a bloodbath that claimed King Jehoram/Joram of Israel, King Ahaziah/Jehoahaz of Judah, Queen Jezebel of Israel, all members of the House of Omri in reach, many Baalists in Israel, and 42 mourners of King Ahaziah/Jehoahaz from Judah. However, Queen Mother Athaliah, daughter of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel of Israel, remained safe in Jerusalem. She usurped the throne of Judah and purged as many rival claimants to the throne as she could find. She did not, however, find her grandson, the future King Jehoash/Joash. The revolution in Israel occurred during a war against King Hazael of Aram. The threat of King Hazael persisted.
King Jehu received a negative review in 2 Kings.
Finding someone to cheer for in this story is extremely difficult. This is frequently the case in revolutions. Yes, one says, Side A is terrible. So is Side B, however. It is lamentable that the population cannot have good government. Pity the people.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
NOVEMBER 2, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF ALL SOULS/THE COMMEMORATION OF ALL FAITHFUL DEPARTED
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Above: Queen Athaliah of Judah
Image in the Public Domain
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
READING 1-2 SAMUEL, 1 KINGS, 2 KINGS 1-21, 1 CHRONICLES, AND 2 CHRONICLES 1-33
PART LXXXIX
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
2 Kings 11:1-20
2 Chronicles 22:10-23:21
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The children of sinners are abominable children,
and they frequent the haunts of the ungodly.
The inheritance of the children of sinners will perish,
and on their posterity will be a perpetual reproach.
–Ecclesiasticus/Sirach 41:5-6, Revised Standard Version–Second Catholic Edition (2002)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Queen Athaliah of Judah (Reigned 842-836 B.C.E.)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Above: The Intermarriage of the House of Omri and the House of David
Scan by Kenneth Randolph Taylor
A refresher: Princess Athaliah, sister of Princes Ahaziah and Jehoram/Joram of Israel, had married Jehoram/Joram, the Crown Prince of Judah. The couple’s elder son had become King Ahaziah/Jehoahaz of Judah. Then he had perished in Jehu’s revolution in Israel, leaving an infant son, Jehoash/Joash, the legitimate heir to the throne. Meanwhile, King Jehoram/Joram of Israel had also perished in Jehu’s revolution in the northern kingdom.
Got that?
Queen Athaliah was a chip off the old block. In another verse of an ancient song, she seized power and ordered the deaths of potential rivals. Yet Princess Jehosheba (whose name should join those of Shiphrah and Puah in honor) helped High Priest Jehoiada hide the young Jehoash/Joash (her nephew) from Queen Athaliah for about six years. After Queen Athaliah and Baalist priest Mattan died in a coup d’état, Jehoash/Joash, seven years old, came to the throne, and Jehoiada served as the regent. The High Priest provided a positive influence upon the young monarch. Meanwhile, the destruction of altars and images of Baal Peor had been another result of the revolution in Judah.
The last vestiges of the House of Omri were gone. Their sins continued, unfortunately.
Next, I will step back in time and focus on King Jehu of Israel and his revolution.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
NOVEMBER 2, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF ALL SOULS/THE COMMEMORATION OF ALL FAITHFUL DEPARTED
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Above: King Jehoram/Joram of Judah
Image in the Public Domain
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
READING 1-2 SAMUEL, 1 KINGS, 2 KINGS 1-21, 1 CHRONICLES, AND 2 CHRONICLES 1-33
PART LXXXVIII
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
2 Kings 8:16-29
2 Chronicles 21:1-22:9
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Whoever throws a stone straight up throws it on his own head;
and a treacherous blow opens up wounds.
He who digs a pit will fall into it,
and he who sets a snare will be caught in it.
–Ecclesiasticus/Sirach 27:25-27, Revised Standard Version–Second Catholic Edition (2002)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
King Jehoram/Joram of Israel (Reigned 851-842 B.C.E.)
King Jehoram/Joram of Judah (Reigned 851-843 B.C.E.)
King Ahaziah/Jehoahaz of Judah (Reigned 843-842 B.C.E.)
King Hazael of Aram (Reigned 842-806 B.C.E.)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Above: The Intermarriage of the House of Omri and the House of David
Scan by Kenneth Randolph Taylor
The critiques of King Jehoram/Joram of Judah are negative. The longer coverage in 2 Chronicles 21 is more devastating than 2 Kings 8:16-24. The account in 2 Chronicles 21 even mentions a condemnation by Elijah. Questions of historicity of the prophet’s message aside, a message from Elijah fits the chronology of 2 Kings. If one pays close attention, one may notice that King Jehoram/Joram of Judah was already on the throne in 2 Kings 1:17, and that the account of the assumption of Elijah is in 2 Kings 2.
King Ahaziah of Judah, son and immediate successor of King Jehoram/Joram of Judah, also received a negative review. King Ahaziah of Judah allied himself militarily with his uncle, King Jehroam/Joram of Israel. They had a common foe, King Hazael of Aram.
Both King Jehoram/Joram of Israel and King Jehoram/Joram of Judah died badly. The King of Judah suffered from an incurable disease of the bowels and died unloved. The King of Israel perished in a revolution, to Jehu.
King Ahaziah of Judah also fell victim to Jehu’s revolution.
The insidious influence of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel of Israel in the Kingdom of Judah was not burned out, unfortunately. The Queen Mother, Athaliah, daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, was still alive. And she wanted to wield power.
The reign of Queen Athaliah will be the topic of my next post.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
OCTOBER 31, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THE REFORMATION
THE FEAST OF DANIEL C. ROBERTS, EPISCOPAL PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF GERHARD VON RAD AND MARTIN NOTH, GERMAN LUTHERAN BIBLICAL SCHOLARS
THE FEAST OF AUL SHINJI SASAKI, ANGLICAN BISHOP OF MID-JAPAN, BISHOP OF TOKYO, AND PRIMATE OF NIPPON SEI KO KEI; AND PHILIP LENDEL TSEN, ANGLICAN BISHOP OF HONAN AND PRESIDING BISHOP OF CHUNG HUA SHENG KUNG HUI
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Above: Ruins of Samaria
Image in the Public Domain
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
READING 1-2 SAMUEL, 1 KINGS, 2 KINGS 1-21, 1 CHRONICLES, AND 2 CHRONICLES 1-33
PART LXXXVI
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
2 Kings 6:24:-7:20
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Put not your trust in princes,
in a son of man, in whom there is no help.
When his breath departs he returns to his earth;
on that very day his plans perish.
–Psalm 146:3-4, Revised Standard Version–Second Catholic Edition (2002)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
King Jehoram/Joram of Israel (Reigned 851-842 B.C.E.)
King Ben-Hadad I of Aram (Reigned 880-842 B.C.E.)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The Aramean siege of Samaria caused dire circumstances in the city. People discussed cannibalism openly. Food prices were high. And King Jehoram/Joram of Israel, for a brief time, blamed the calamity on Elisha, whom he ordered executed. Then the monarch changed his mind and assigned blame to God. Elisha lived for a few more chapters of 2 Kings.
One may legitimately wonder how God delivered Samaria from the siege. Did the deity deceive the Samarian army or did they perceive an invisible army from God? The answer to that question may be interesting, but it is also irrelevant. The germane answer is that God ended the siege. “Who?” is the operative question in these stories.
Did God cause the siege of Samaria? No. Ben-Hadad I did. God ended it.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
OCTOBER 30, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF HUGH O’FLAHERTY, “SCARLET PIMPERNEL OF THE VATICAN”
THE FEAST OF SAINTS MARCELLUS THE CENTURION AND CASSIAN OF TANGIERS, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYRS, 298
THE FEAST OF SAINT OLEKSA ZARYTSKY, UKRAINIAN GREEK CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1963
THE FEAST OF WALTER JOHN MATHAMS, BRITISH BAPTIST THEN PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER, AUTHOR, AND HYMN WRITER
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
This is post #2350 of BLOGA THEOLOGICA.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Above: Elisha Makes the Axe Swim
Image in the Public Domain
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
READING 1-2 SAMUEL, 1 KINGS, 2 KINGS 1-21, 1 CHRONICLES, AND 2 CHRONICLES 1-33
PART LXXXV
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
2 Kings 6:1-23
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
If it had not been the LORD who was on our side,
let Israel now say–
if it had not been the LORD who was on our side,
when men rose up against us,
then they would have swallowed us up alive,
when their anger was kindled against us;
then the flood would have swept us away,
the torrent would have gone over us;
then over us would have gone
the raging waters.
Blessed be the LORD,
who has not given us
as prey to their teeth!
We have escaped as a bird
from the snare of the fowlers;
the snare is broken,
and we have escaped!
Our help is in the name of the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
–Psalm 124, Revised Standard Version–Second Catholic Edition (2002)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
King Jehoram/Joram of Israel (Reigned 851-842 B.C.E.)
King Ben-Hadad I of Aram (Reigned 880-842 B.C.E.)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
As one who pays close attention to this series of posts ought to know, I keep asking, in relation to stories, a guiding question:
What is really going on here?
Consider 2 Kings 6:1-7, for example, O reader.
Elisha had a band of disciples. If we have not known that, we have not paid sufficiently close attention to 2 Kings 2 (in which he inherited it from Elijah) and 2 Kings 4. Elisha’s disciples lived in a community near Jericho and the River Jordan.
Axe heads were expensive. One of Elisha’s disciples lost a borrowed axe head in the River Jordan. Elisha may have poked a stick into the axe head’s hole then lifted the axe head out of the river, as one commentary I read suggested. If Elisha did that, so be it. How he retrieved the axe head was beside the point. The prophet spared a disciple from a would-be onerous debt. Elisha solved one man’s problem. Such issues mattered greatly to the prophet.
They should matter to us, too.
Elisha also dealt with geopolitical and military issues. God worked through him to foil Aramean raiders in Israel. The lavish feast for the raiders, followed by their release, must have astonished King Ben-Hadad I of Aram. That combination did not dissuade him from besieging Samaria, though.
That siege, one of the topics of 2 Kings 6:24-7:20, will be the subject of my next blog post.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
OCTOBER 29, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF JAMES HANNINGTON, ANGLICAN BISHOP OF EASTERN EQUATORIAL AFRICA; AND HIS COMPANIONS, MARTYRS, 1885
THE FEAST OF BARTHOLOMAUS HELDER, GERMAN LUTHERAN MINISTER, COMPOSER, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF JOSEPH GRIGG, ENGLISH PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF PAUL MANZ, DEAN OF LUTHERAN CHURCH MUSIC
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Above: Naaman
Image in the Public Domain
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
READING 1-2 SAMUEL, 1 KINGS, 2 KINGS 1-21, 1 CHRONICLES, AND 2 CHRONICLES 1-33
PART LXXXIV
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
2 Kings 5:1-27
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Pride was not created for men,
nor fierce anger for those born of women.
–Ecclesiasticus/Sirach 10:18, Revised Standard Version–Second Catholic Edition (2002)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
King Jehoram/Joram of Israel (Reigned 851-842 B.C.E.)
King Ben-Hadad I of Aram (Reigned 880-842 B.C.E.)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Given that I have already covered various elements of this story in previous posts, I choose to:
- narrow the focus on this post, and
- refer you, O reader, to follow the tag “Naaman” and the category “2 Kings 5” for other comments on this story.
The Gospel of Luke, with its pro-Gentile theme, is unique among the canonical Gospels in having Jesus cite the healing of Naaman in the Rejection of Nazareth story (Luke 4:27). In that version of a story also present in Matthew and Mark, the hometown crowd turned on Jesus after he made comments indicating divine openness to Gentiles. (For the other canonical versions of the Rejection at Nazareth, read Mark 6:1-6 and Matthew 13:54-58.)
Perhaps the most overlooked theme in 2 Kings 5 is the sanctity of the land of Israel. This sanctity explains the sufficiency of the River Jordan and the insufficiency of the rivers in Aram. The sanctity of the land also explains why Naaman concluded that he could worship the sole deity only on the sacred land, and never in Aram. The sanctity of the land also explains why Elisha had no objection to Naaman worshiping in pagan temples in Aram after having professed faith in the one God, YHWH.
I am a monotheist–a Christian, to be precise. I worship God, my understanding of whom depends heavily on Judaism. I worship God in the State of Georgia, U.S.A., far from Israel. I also live within walking distance of the local synagogue. I feel confident in saying that the members of Congregation Children of Israel worship God in Athens, Georgia. I detect a change in theology between the time of the original telling of 2 Kings 5 and much of the rest of the Bible, as well as between the time of the original telling of the story of the healing of Naaman and today, October 29, 2020. If one accepts that God–YHWH, Adonai, El Shaddai, et cetera–regardless of the name one prefers to use–is the sole, universal deity, one may also accept that one can worship God from any geographical location. God is not a tribal or national deity, after all.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
OCTOBER 29, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF JAMES HANNINGTON, ANGLICAN BISHOP OF EASTERN EQUATORIAL AFRICA; AND HIS COMPANIONS, MARTYRS, 1885
THE FEAST OF BARTHOLOMAUS HELDER, GERMAN LUTHERAN MINISTER, COMPOSER, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF JOSEPH GRIGG, ENGLISH PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF PAUL MANZ, DEAN OF LUTHERAN CHURCH MUSIC
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Above: King Jehoram/Joram of Israel
Image in the Public Domain
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
READING 1-2 SAMUEL, 1 KINGS, 2 KINGS 1-21, 1 CHRONICLES, AND 2 CHRONICLES 1-33
PART LXXXII
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
2 Kings 3:1-27
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
…in all his days [Elisha] did not tremble before any ruler,
and no one brought him into subjection.
–Ecclesiasticus/Sirach 48:12b, Revised Standard Version–Second Catholic Edition (2002)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
King Jehoram/Joram of Israel (Reigned 851-842 B.C.E.)
King Jehoshaphat of Judah (Reigned 870-846 B.C.E.)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
King Jehoram/Joram of Israel received a mostly negative evaluation in 2 Kings 3:1-3. His father, King Ahab, had ordered the construction of pillars in honor of Baal Peor. King Jehoram/Joram ordered their destruction. That was positive. Nevertheless, Elisha had no use and little time for the King Jehoram/Joram.
The geopolitical situation was as follows: Israel and Judah were allies. Their royal families had married into each other. Israel dominated Moab, the king of which, was Mesha. Judah dominated Edom. King Mesha of Moab sought to cease being a vassal of the King of Israel. King Jehoshaphat of Judah feared that, if King Mesha succeeded, the King of Edom would also rebel.
Mesha’s revolt succeeded. At first, the Israel-Judah coalition seemed poised to win the conflict. When Moabites saw the reflection of red sandstone mountains in water, they mistook the sight for pools of blood. Then the coalition forces attacked. After Mesha made his firstborn sone and his heir a human sacrifice, the coalition forces lost and retreated. The Mesha stele has confirmed some of these details.
Mesha assumed that this god Chemosh was angry, hence the subjugation of Moab to Israel since the reign of King Omri. The King of Moab understood himself to be appeasing this deity.
One interpretation of the story assumes that the wrath of Chemosh against coalition forces drove them out of Moab. Or maybe the story assumes that that the wrath of YHWH against Israel for violating the prohibition against scorched-earth warfare drove coalition forces out of Moab. One may legitimately wonder, according to 2 Kings 3:27, whose “great wrath” came upon Israel.
In simple terms, the question is one of monotheism versus monolatry. Monotheism, of course, affirms the existence of only one deity. Monolatry accepts that other deities exist yet rejects the worship of them. The question of whether the original intention of a particular verse in the Hebrew Bible indicated monotheism or monolatry is one a person can trace by comparing commentaries.
I cannot read the mind of the author of 2 Kings 3:27. I know, however, that strict monotheism in Jewish folk religion (as opposed to priestly orthodoxy) became prominent after the beginning of the Babylonian Exile. I know that, for a very long time, many Hebrews in ancient Judah and Israel assumed that other peoples had their gods. I suppose that the author of 2 Kings 3:27 may have thought that Chemosh had power in Moab.
If so, I point to another example of why some ancient perspectives in the Bible should not define my thinking. On the other hand, if the wrath was that of YHWH, according to the author of 2 Kings 3:27, my previous point does not apply in this case.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
OCTOBER 28, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS SIMON AND JUDE, APOSTLES AND MARTYRS
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Above: The Intermarriage of the House of Omri and the House of David
Scan by Kenneth Randolph Taylor
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
READING 1-2 SAMUEL, 1 KINGS, 2 KINGS 1-21, 1 CHRONICLES, AND 2 CHRONICLES 1-33
PART LXXIX
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1 Kings 22:51-53
2 Kings 1:1-18
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Listen therefore, O kings, and understand;
learn, O judges of the ends of the earth.
Give ear, you that rule over multitudes,
and boast of many nations….
Because as servants of his kingdom you did not rule rightly,
nor keep the law,
nor walk according to the purpose of God,
he will come upon you terribly and swiftly,
because severe judgment falls on those in high places.
–Wisdom of Solomon 6:1-2, 4-5, Revised Standard Version–Second Catholic Edition (2002)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
King Ahaziah of Israel (Reigned 852-851 B.C.E.)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Now seems like a good time to mention duplicate royal names in the dynasties of Judah (southern) and Israel (northern). Even a cursory scan of the names of monarchs of those kingdoms reveals duplicate names. Distinguishing between Jeroboam I and Jeroboam II of Israel is easy. Yet consider, O reader, the use of the names Ahaziah, Jehoram/Joram, Jehoahaz, Shallum, and Jehoash/Joash by monarchs in both kingdoms. Furthermore, consider that Jehoram/Joram of Israel and Jehoram/Joram of Judah were contemporaries. And, to make matters more confusing, there were two Jehoahazes and two Shallums of Judah, without Roman numerals to distinguish them.
King Ahaziah of Israel, son of King Ahab of Israel, was a chip off the old block. The apple did not fall far from the tree. He was, after, all a scion of two evil people. King Ahaziah, a practitioner of idolatry, died after falling through the lattice in the upper chamber of his palace at Samaria. (There was no glass in the windows yet.) The monarch consulted Baal-zebub, the pagan of god of Ekron, not God. This final act of idolatry set up a confrontation with Elijah.
The text conveys the meaning that, had King Ahaziah of Israel turned to God, he would have lived and recovered.
The throne passed to a brother, Jehoram/Joram of Israel, with whom we will catch up in 2 Kings 3:1-27 and continue with through 2 Kings 9, in time for the end of the House of Omri, thereby fulfilling 1 Kings 21:20-29.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
OCTOBER 28, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS SIMON AND JUDE, APOSTLES AND MARTYRS
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
BLOGA THEOLOGICA 
You must be logged in to post a comment.